55 Illegal Aliens Busted in ICE Raid on Alabama Cockfight
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement teamed up with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other law enforcement partners to execute search warrants in Alabama related to illegal game fighting. The operation netted the arrest of 55 illegal aliens and five United States citizens engaged in the illegal cockfighting scheme.
The criminal warrant-based operation conducted by the Gulf of America Homeland Security Task Force, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and law enforcement officers from the state of Alabama, took place on Saturday, June 14, in Blount County, Alabama, northeast of Birmingham.
The operation targeted an illegal cockfighting exhibition that authorities believed was in operation in the rural Alabama county. The warrant executed by the task force focused on the unlawful animal fighting venture and the suspected presence of illegal aliens in violation of federal law. The warrant alleged the targeted operation was conducting illegal gambling as well, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs authorities.
The surprise operation resulted in the apprehension of 60 individuals suspected of involvement in the illegal animal fighting venture. Of those arrested, 55 were determined to be in the United States illegally. The multiagency team executing the search warrants recovered two firearms and seized more than $100,000 in bulk currency.
In a subsequent press release, Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama, said, “This illegal cockfighting operation wasn’t just about animal cruelty — it was tied to a broader network of serious crimes, including illegal gambling, drug trafficking, and violent offenses. These criminal enterprises endanger our communities, and HSI remains steadfast in its mission to disrupt and dismantle them.”
As reported by Breitbart Texas, in early May, a similar operation focused on illegal cockfighting took place in Southern Mississippi. That warrant-based operation resulted in numerous arrests involving illegal aliens and United States citizens involved in the operation. Breitbart reports extensively on illegal cockfighting operations across the United States. Frequently, these barbaric contests are connected to Mexican cartel money laundering operations.
As with the Mississippi case, the latest bust in Alabama is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that employs the full resources of the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect American communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Read more of Breitbart’s coverage of cockfighting operations here.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
